Accutane® Injury Claims

What is Accutane®?
Accutane is a strong oral medication used to treat acne.  It is a powerful, last resort medication prescribed for severe acne when other treatments have been unsuccessful.  Accutane is essentially a form of Vitamin A that works to reduce the natural skin oils that are produced by the body.  Accutane is so strong that it was originally developed to be used as a chemotherapy medication for the treatment of certain types of cancer, including brain and pancreatic cancer. 

Accutane was approved by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in 1982, and since then, more than 13 million people have been treated with it.  It is typically prescribed for no more than 4-6 months of use.  Generic names and prescription forms of Accutane include: Isotane, Amnesteem, Claravis, Clarus, Deutan, Isotret, Izotek, Oratane, Roaccutane, and Isotretinoin. 

Hoffmann La-Roche
Accutane is manufactured by Hoffmann-La Roche, located in Nutley, New Jersey.  Hoffmann-La Roche has made over $1.2 billion from the sale of Accutane each year.  Accutane is one of the top five prescription drugs on the market that has resulted in serious side effects and injury claims.

In June 2009, Hoffmann La Roche discontinued the manufacture of Accutane.  The company did not cite the medication’s dangerous side effects as its reason for pulling the drug off the market, but instead maintained that it was because of growing competition among generic competitors. 

Accutane Dangers
Accutane can result in the toxic buildup of Vitamin A in the tissues, causing serious dangers to your health.  Studies have found that users of Accutane have almost twice the odds of developing a severe bowel disease than nonusers.  A 2006 study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology noted the link between Accutane and the development of bowel diseases.  Serious health dangers of Accutane include:

•    Ulcerative colitis
•    Crohn’s disease
•    Inflammatory Bowel Disease
•    Severe depression
•    Suicidal thoughts
•    Birth defects
•    Liver damage. 

Most people take Accutane as a teenager or young adult and may not develop the signs or symptoms of these diseases until several years later.

    Ulcerative Colitis:  Accutane has been linked to several diseases of the bowel, including ulcerative colitis.  Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammation of the digestive tract accompanied by ulcers on the lining of the large intestine.  Some people may develop symptoms immediately, while others may not exhibit symptoms for months or years after taking Accutane.  There is no known cure for ulcerative colitis.  Severe forms of ulcerative colitis can lead to shock, severe bleeding, colon rupture or even death. Chronic and severe diarrhea may be experienced in many patients, and attacks may be very disruptive to a person’s life.

    Crohn’s Disesase:  Crohn’s disease is a chronic illness affecting the digestive tract.  It is often characterized by abdominal discomfort, bloody stools, loss of appetite, severe diarrhea, ulcers and weight loss.

    Inflammatory Bowel Disease:  Those with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may experience severe or constant abdominal pain, joint pain, fever, weight loss, loss of appetite, skin problems, and bleeding from the rectum.

Legal Responsibility
People who were prescribed Accutane before Hoffmann La Roche warned about the serious risks of taking Accutane are generally successful in court rulings.  The New Jersey Superior Court has awarded several millions of dollars to people claiming that Accutane caused their bowel diseases.  Approximately 5,000 personal injury lawsuits have been filed against Hoffmann La Roche, alleging that Accutane caused the onset of bowel problems or other adverse reactions, including depression. 

If you or a loved one have experienced any of these diseases and have taken Accutane in the past, you may be entitled to compensation.  Because certain laws place time limits on when you can bring your claim, it is important to have your claim evaluated in a timely manner at no charge to you by our Accutane litigation team.

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